The Nxtion Family Service: 12 Creations – Part 9
Date: 05/01/2023
“According to Marx, religion has a dual role to play. Throughout the history of class society religion performs two essential functions: it buttresses the established order by sanctifying it and by suggesting that the political order is somehow ordained by divine authority, and it consoles the oppressed and exploited by offering them in heaven what they are denied upon earth. At the same time, by holding
before them a vision of what they are denied, religion plays at least partly a progressive role in that it gives the common people some idea of what a better order would be. But when it becomes possible to realize that better order upon earth in the form of communism, then religion becomes wholly reactionary, for it distracts men from establishing a now possible good society on earth by still turning their eyes toward heaven. Its sanctification of the existing social order makes it a counter-revolutionary
force. Thus in the course of building a communist society, the Marxist must fight religion because it will inevitably stand in his path. But in a communist society there will be no need to persecute religion, for its essential functions will have disappeared. There will no longer be an exploiting class, nor will the common people stand in need of religious consolations. Religion itself will disappear of its own accord without persecution.
(This is an interesting example of the functionalism embodied in Marxism; the state, too, according to Marx and Lenin, will wither away when it becomes functionless.)
- Source: Marxism and Religion by Alasdair MacIntyre
Definitions:
Marxism:
A body of doctrine developed by Karl Marx and (to a lesser extent) by Friedrich Engels in the
mid-19th century. It originally consisted of three related ideas: a philosophical anthropology, a theory of history, and an economic and political program (Britannica)
Marxism is a political philosophy based on the writings of Karl Marx which stresses the importance of the struggle between different social classes. (Collins)
Revolution:
A forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favour of a new system. (Oxford)
A radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure, especially one made
suddenly and often accompanied by violence. (Dictionary)
A sudden, radical, or complete change (Merriam Webster)
Activity or movement designed to effect fundamental changes in the socioeconomic situation (Merriam Webster)
A change in the way a country is governed, usually to a different political system and often using violence or war (Cambridge)
Counter-revolution:
Opposition or resistance to a revolutionary movement. It refers to the attempts to defeat a
revolutionary movement before it takes power, as well as attempts to restore the old regime
after a successful revolution. (Wikipedia)
Activities that are intended to reverse the effects of a previous revolution. (Collins)
An action by a group, that is done to overthrow a government th at is in power because of an
earlier revolution. (Britannica)
Functionalism:
The theory that all aspects of a society serve a function and are necessary for the survival of that society. (Oxford)
A theory that views society as a complex but orderly and stable system, with interconnected
structures and functions or social patterns that operate to meet the needs of individuals in a
society. (Sociology dictionary)
The theory of design that the form of a thing should be determined by its use (Collins)
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